91To Benjamin Franklin from Margaret Stevenson, 22 November 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I rived hear Thursday Night at Ten a Clock alramd [alarmed] all the wilage Mrs. Moriss gone to Bead but got up. I cant express her Joy. I thought it wod have bin to much for her. It is a misrabl being for cold and hard Lod[g]ing. But Poor Mrs. Walker is every kind and car[e]full to keep me warm and gete me all the good [ torn ] she cane but how I am to geet...
92To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 1 July 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society You had a long Letter from me by the Packet a Week or two ago, which I hope you will have received, and referring to that, I shall have the less to enlarge upon here: The Assembly of New-Jersey are broke up, and I hear Govr. Franklin is this Day at Newark, Miss Sally with him, but I don’t learn that they are coming over here. The Commotions excited by the...
93To Benjamin Franklin from William Franklin, [13 July 1766] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have just returned from Amboy, and have received your Letter per the Packet of May 10. Mr. Wharton’s Clerk has this Moment call’d on me to let me know he is going Express to N.Y. in hopes of overtaking the Packet. I have stopt him that I might send you an Extract of Sir Wm.’s last Letter relative to the Colony. I before sent you an Answer to the Enquiry...
94To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 6 May 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Agreeable to your Requisition and Opinion, in yours to me of the 11th of May, and 8th of June last, I am now come up to this City: and been accepted to the Exercise of the Place of Land-Waiter here the 3d of this Month: and an Account with the Bond executed, and a Certificate of the Matter would be sent with this Packet, but the Surveyor-General, Mr....
95“N.N.”: Communicating Massachusetts Documents, 7–9 January 1766 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle , January 7–9, 1766 This introductory note to the printer is attributed to Franklin chiefly because its signature, “N.N.,” is one he certainly used for three other letters to the press in the winter of 1765–66 and continued to use from time to time during later years. With this communication Franklin sent copies of the instructions adopted by the Boston town...
96“F.B.”: Third Reply to Tom Hint: Two Taylors, 14 January 1766 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser , January 14, 1766. This is the second of two letters that Goddard reprinted in the Pennsylvania Chronicle , March 2–9, 1767, the authorship of which William Franklin later also attributed to his father. In December 1765 “Tom Hint” and Franklin, the latter writing as “F.B.,” had twice exchanged letters in the Gazetteer (above, XII , 406–7,...
97From Benjamin Franklin to Daniel Wister, 27 September 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : James W. Wister, Philadelphia (1955) I received your Favour of June the 7th. with the German Paper enclos’d. I am exceedingly oblig’d to my Friends for the constant Care they take of my Good Name in my Absence in defending it from the Slanders of my Enemies. Among the rest, I beg you would accept my thankful Acknowledgements for the generous Part you have always taken in that kind Work,...
98From Benjamin Franklin to Edward Penington, 27 February 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received yours of Nov. 14. with that enclos’d for Mr. Sp[ringett] Penn, which I immediately forwarded to him. He continues in Ireland I know not why. I hear from him sometimes, but to little purpose. I think it not unlikely he may suffer him self to be finally impos’d on by his Uncle in the Affair of Pensbury, but shall endeavour to stir him up...
99To Benjamin Franklin from [Mary] Rich, [1766–1769] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society As Miss Rich finds her Servant deliverd the money and Reciept to a Little Girl, She is desirous to know that Dr. Franklin recievd it, therefore begs he will just write her a line by the penny Post. She will also be obligd to him for the Direction to the man that made the Spindle &ca in Case She Should at any time want his Assistance. She finds so much...
100“F.B.”: The Frenchman and the Poker, [February–March 1766] (Franklin Papers)
First printing not located; reprinted in The Pennsylvania Chronicle, And Universal Advertiser , March 16–23, 1767. This is the second of two letters Goddard reprinted in the Pennsylvania Chronicle , March 16–23, 1767, the authorship of which he attributed to Franklin. In a letter to his sister, Jane Mecom, many years later, Franklin acknowledged that he had “told” the story. Goddard gave no...
101“Arator”: On the Price of Corn, and Management of the Poor, [29 November 1766] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The London Chronicle , November 27–29, 1766. The first editor to identify Franklin in print as the author of this paper was Benjamin Vaughan, who included it in his 1779 edition of Franklin’s writings. Before that it had been twice reprinted. A periodical published by the French physiocrats, called Ephémérides du citoyen , printed a translation in February 1767, introducing it with...
102To Benjamin Franklin from Sir William Johnson, 10 July 1766 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Antiquarian Society; copy: Massachusetts Historical Society At the Request of your Son Govr. Franklyn, and several Gentlemen of Pensilvania, I now enclose you a Scheme proposed for establish[in]g a Colony at the Ilinois, together with my Letter to Mr. Secretary Conway in favour thereof, which the proposers desired might be transmitted thro’ your hands. I have accordingly sent...
103To Benjamin Franklin from James Parker, 15 July 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society On a Supposition that this may find you not embarked yet, on your Return home, I adventure to write once more: to acknowledge the Receipt of yours of May 9th. I think I told you in my last per Capt. Davis, my Reasons for delaying yet to print a News-paper, that is in Hopes of getting a Settlement with Holt, which he has promised to get done in three Months,...
104From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwalader Evans, 9 May 1766 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Samuel Hazard, ed., Hazard’s Register of Pennsylvania xvi, No. 5 (August 1, 1835), 65. I received your kind letter of March 3, and thank you for the Intelligence and Hints it contained. I wonder at the Complaint you mentioned. I always considered writing to the Speaker as writing to the Committee. But if it is more to their Satisfaction that I should write to them...
105From Benjamin Franklin to Baynton, Wharton & Morgan, [10 May 1766] (Franklin Papers)
Extract: reprinted from Clarence W. Alvord and Clarence E. Carter, eds., The New Régime 1765–1766 , in Collections of the Illinois Historical Library, xi (Springfield, Ill., 1916), 338. This is the first of three brief extracts from letters by Franklin, the originals of which cannot be found, expressing approval of the proposed western settlement. All three have been tentatively dated May 10,...
106“Homespun”: Further Defense of Indian Corn, 15 January 1766 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser , January 15, 1766. This is the first of two letters Goddard reprinted in the Pennsylvania Chronicle , March 16–23, 1767, the authorship of which William Franklin later also attributed to his father. On January 2, writing as “Homespun,” he had replied briefly to aspersions on Indian corn by “Vindex Patriae” (above, pp. 7–8), and that writer had...
107From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, [30 September 1766] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in [Jared Sparks, ed.,] A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), p. 279. I have just had a visit from General Lyman, and a good deal of conversation on the Ilinois scheme. He tells me, that Mr. Morgan, who is under-secretary of the Southern department, is much pleased with it; and we are to go...
108To Benjamin Franklin from Mary Owen: Bill and Receipt, 8 October 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : American Philosophical Society Before Franklin sailed from Pennsylvania in November 1764 his son William probably asked him to assume the immediate responsibility for the care and education of William Temple Franklin, the small son of an unidentified mother William had left in England two years before. The two men seem to have agreed that Benjamin would charge to William’s account all...
109From Benjamin Franklin to Charles Thomson, 27 February 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress I forget whether I before acknowledg’d the Receipt of your kind Letter of Sept. 24. I gave an Extract of it to a Friend, with an Extract of mine to which it was an Answer; and he printed both in the London Chronicle, with an Introduction of his own: and I have reprinted everything from America that I thought might help our common Cause. We at length, after a long and...
110To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, [February 1766] (Franklin Papers)
ALS (fragment): American Philosophical Society [ First part missing ] myself so much as to think I am able to [carry to completion] this large plan. I only propose to do it [if I can leave] it to you and my other friends in Lon[don readily to sup]ply my deficiencies. In the mean time I should be glad to have your sentiment of it. [Asking your pardon for] trespassing so long upon your patience...
111To Benjamin Franklin from [John] Blair, 8 December 1766 (Franklin Papers)
AP: American Philosophical Society Dr. Blair presents his Compliments to Dr. Franklin and has used the freedom of sending his Servant for a small parcell of the Pine Tops which he was so obliging as to say he would give him. While the writer of this note might be Hugh Blair (1718–1800), a Scottish minister who was also Regius professor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at the University of...
112Gottfried Achenwall: Some Observations on North America from Information of Dr. Franklin, [July 1766] (Franklin Papers)
Translated from “Einige Anmerkungen über Nordamerika, und über dasige Grosbritannische Colonien. (Aus mündlichen Nachrichten des Hrn. Dr. Franklins.),” Hannoverisches Magazin , 17tes, 18tes, 19tes, 31tes, 32tes Stücke (Feb. 27, Mar. 2, 6, Apr. 17, 20, 1767), cols. 257–96, 482–508 (Princeton University Library). During the visit of Franklin and Pringle at Göttingen in July 1766 one of the...
113From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Hopkinson, 9 May 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Dr. Myron Prinzmetal, Beverly Hills, California (1956); copy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received your Favour of Oct. 1. with the Order on Mr. Barclay, of which I have not yet made any Use, but shall when I next see him; Tho’ it was not necessary for you to take Notice of those small Expences till my Return. Your Acknowledgements are far beyond the Occasion, and bring me in...
114From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Galloway, [10 May 1766] (Franklin Papers)
Extract: reprinted from Clarence W. Alvord and Clarence E. Carter, eds., The New Régime 1765–1766 , in Collections of the Illinois Historical Library, xi (Springfield, Ill., 1916), 338. I think that a strong Colony in the Illinois Country, is a most desirable measure. The Proposal is much listened to here. On the source and dating of this extract see the headnote and footnotes to the document...
115To Benjamin Franklin from John Beveridge, 20 January 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Herewith you will receive three Copies of some familiar Epistles &c, which I have printed. Two bound to be delivered to Dr. Pringle, and one on Common paper as they were Sold here for your self. I have given one bound in the same manner to Mrs. Franklin, which waits your return at your own house, but this common one is in order to shew to any of your...
116To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Chew, 24 January 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Since I wrote to you last this Colony has Rather increased in the Confusion and distraction of the times then otherways. Meetings have been Called by the Populace &c. where the most Ext[raordina]ry Votes have Passed and our friend Ingersoll has been more then humbled. He has been so intimidated as to give up his Letters publick and Private —almost Every...
117Remarks on the Plan for Regulating the Indian Trade, [September 1766-October 1766] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Library of Congress During June 1764 the Board of Trade had spent considerable time and effort preparing a “Plan for the Future Management of Indian Affairs,” and on June 15 it ordered that copies be sent for comment to the superintendents of Indian affairs and the royal governors on the North American continent. On July 10 drafts of the Board’s explanatory letters to these officials...
118From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, [11 October 1766] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in [Jared Sparks, ed.,] A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), p. 279. I was again with Lord Shelburne a few days since, and said a good deal to him on the affair of the Ilinois settlement. He was pleased to say he really approved of it; but intimated that every new proposed expense for America...
119From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 1 March 1766 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I acknowledge the Receipt of your kind Letters of Nov. 12. and Dec. 20. the latter per Mr. Williams. I condole with you on the Death of your Husband, who was I believe a truly affectionate one to you, and fully sensible of your Merit. It is not true that I have bought any Estate here. I have indeed had some thoughts of re-purchasing the little one in...
120To Benjamin Franklin from the Earl of Morton, [11 December 1766] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Lord Morton woud have spoke with Dr. Franklin but he was gone immediately after the Counsil; Should be oblig’d if the Dr. could breakfast with him to morrow about 10 and will send for an answer earlier. Addressed: To / Dr Franklin / Craven Street The phraseology of this note suggests that Lord Morton, president of the Royal Society from 1764 until his death,...